High school students who want to get a head start on their college educations can attend a sneak peek of the dual enrollment program at Montgomery County Community College (MCCC). The college is hosting its inaugural Early College Boot Camp for current and prospective dual-enrollment students. Also welcome are families, school district faculty and staff, and anyone interested in early college opportunities.

The first Early College Boot Camp is Aug. 9, 9:00 a.m. to noon, at the Health Sciences Center atrium at Blue Bell Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike. A second edition will be held on Aug. 18 at the Pottstown Campus (North Hall, second-floor gallery), 101 College Drive. It, too, runs 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Student Track/Family Tracks

Each program has a student and a family track.

The student-centric one comprises breakout sessions covering:

• Dual enrollment
• Transitioning from a high school student to first-year college student
• Resources available to MCCC students
• Campus tour
• Onsite registration assistance

The family-oriented program explains the value of a community college education.

Both sessions are free; however, registration is required.

“We’ll begin with an opening session, which gives an overview of the day. There will be tables open house style for academics, student support and wellness, and Ready, Set Montco [the college’s new student information initiative], which will field questions for applying individuals,” said Christine Morris, Administrative Director of Educational Partnerships.

“We are really excited to share this opportunity with students, families and school districts about what the dual enrollment program is, what the expectations are and what pathways are available should they come to Montco,” she continued. “This is an opportunity to educate them. And we’ll have some fun doing it.”

Dual Enrollment

The dual enrollment program offers students ages 15 and older the ability to take college classes on campus, in their high schools, or online, earning undergraduate credits from MCCC.

The resulting credits can be transferred to a four-year college or university; however, students should contact their intended college’s admissions office to ensure that their credits transfer completely.

Classes are offered in the evenings, on weekends, and during the summer.

For daytime classes, students should verify with their high schools that their rosters can be appropriately adjusted to enable the college coursework.

Successful Participants

High school seniors Jared Drabick and Leo Sereni are just two of the latest examples of dual enrollment program success.

The program allowed each of them to earn an associate degree before graduating high school. They each said they enjoyed the experience because it allowed them to see that college would be a good fit for them.

“I had this weird idea in my head that I’m not going to like it,” said Drabick, 18, from Boyertown Area Senior High. “[But] when I took classes in the subjects I enjoy, I was like, ‘Oh wow, this is actually really cool.’ And I actually really enjoyed learning about it.”

Drabick earned an associate degree in business administration and is set to attend Syracuse University in the fall.

Sereni, 18, is senior-class president at Phoenixville-Area High School; he is also a Phoenixville resident.

He has been in the MCCC dual enrollment program since the summer before his freshman year.

He explained how mind-broadening the experience was: “In community college, you’re seeing people who are not just 18–22 years old,” he observed. “There are veterans, moms, older people, younger people. There were business owners looking for help with their work and immigrants.

“It’s a huge variety of people that you meet and learn from. I think it’s a huge asset.”

Sereni earned an associate’s degree in Liberal Studies and is set to attend the College of William and Mary as a James Monroe Scholar this fall.

More about the Early College Boot Camp — for both parents and students — is online.